LITTLE NOTES
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Contents © 2004
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
LITTLE NOTES
September 2004
THE DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO went on record in support of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’s offensive against a state law passed in 2002 which enacted a one-year lift of the statute of limitations on pedophilia cases. The one-year window closed in January of this year. But before it did, a Colorado man filed a suit in San Diego Superior Court against the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa and a priest of that diocese. The suit alleges that the plaintiff, who is not identified by name, was molested by the priest during a trip to San Diego in 1968. In July, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, filed a 100-page brief in the case, which had been moved to Federal court. Diocese of San Diego chancellor, Rodrigo Valdivia, told the Union-Tribune that the diocese supported Los Angeles’s move. He added that Bishop Brom, in a July 13 letter to priests of the diocese, called the law “fundamentally unfair.” There was no word on His Eminence’s views on the fairness of priests abusing boys.
THE THOUGHT POLICE ARE COMING. LifeSiteNews.com reported on July 30th, that, James Lafferty, director of the Christian Seniors Association, “asked U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to investigate reported harassment of churches in Kansas and Missouri.’
Lafferty, the LifeSiteNews reported, “said a report by the Associated Press and the website of a group calling itself The Mainstream Coalition says it has over 100 members who “monitor” sermons and worship at targeted churches.
“Lafferty said he has delivered letters to Attorney General Ashcroft and to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division asking that federal agents be dispatched to Kansas and Missouri to observe the coalition’s activities against churches there.
“‘Churches in those states are being strong-armed and pushed around because of their beliefs,’ said Lafferty in a press release. ‘We want those religious citizens to get the protection they are promised in the Constitution. It is time somebody pushed back at the liberal bullies.
“‘This is harassment, pure and simple,’ he said. ‘Churches in Kansas and Missouri which oppose homosexual marriage go to the top of the coalition’s target list for some monitoring.’
“The Mainstream Coalition calls itself a political watchdog, saying they monitor sermons for evidence of pastors endorsing specific political candidates — which is against the law according to the Internal Revenue Service. In fact, the Mainstream Coalition’s website reveals its leftist agenda of pro-abortion support, homosexual activism, and anti-prayer in schools, among others. Many of the members of the Mainstream Coalition are current or former members of the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the National Education Association.’”
SPEAKING OF HOMILIES, Father Steven Grancini, Barnabite pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary in Little Italy, read the following letter, from an anonymous author, during his homily at 10:30 mass August 7th and at vigil mass the previous evening. “Fellow Americans, When terrorists killed 3000 Americans on September 11, 2001, America went to war, invading Afghanistan and Iraq. However, when 1.3 million American babies are aborted (murdered in the womb), you don’t hear a whimper. Many of the same people who condemned the murder of 3000 Americans simply say that aborting 1.3 million babies is the right of the mothers. They call this Choice! Let’s pause a bit on what Choice has meant to America.
“Arguing that this should be a recognized right of every woman, over 30 years ago, pro-abortion activists successfully fought to get this right legalized by the United States Supreme Court. The fateful decision of Roe vs. Wade on January 22, 1973 allowed a pregnant woman to kill her unborn baby at any time before birth for any reason. In 1973, in the wake of that decision, abortions shot up to 745,000 and have been climbing every year to 1.3 million. 40 million babies have been killed since 1973!
“This nation has fought nine wars — from the Revolutionary War to the invasion of Iraq— to uphold or defend human freedom. We lost 650,000 American lives in those nine wars. We lose twice that many American babies every year. The sad contrast is that while the 650,000 Americans were killed by the enemies of freedom, the 1.3 million babies are killed by their own mothers. We lost 3000 American lives in the twin-tower attack; we lose 3600 babies to abortion every day. Sadly again, the difference is that while the 3000 Americans in the twin towers were victims of alien terrorists, the 3600 babies killed every day are victims of their own mothers.
“Fellow Americans, did you know that abortion is the leading cause of deaths in this country — 11 times more than the combined total of Americans who die annually from accidental falls, drowning, poisoning, car accidents, suicides, and homicides?
“How can this be happening in such a great country when 71% of Americans are against abortion? The problem is that we the majority are pro-life only inside our homes.
“We don’t seem to care that hundreds of thousands of pro-abortion marchers gathered in Washington, D.C. to rally for Choice, acting as if they were the majority. We don’t seem to care that pro-choicers stalk the halls of Congress lobbying for more pro-abortion legislation, or noisily campaign for pro-abortion politicians. We don’t seem to care that the politicians we vote into office are pro-abortion — politicians who pass laws funding more abortions, who help appoint pro-abortion judges.
The result? The minority rules! And 1.3 million babies continued to be murdered in the womb every year. Fellow Americans, let us stand up and be counted! Let us join with other like-minded citizens to stop the brutal killing of helpless, unborn children. Let us band together to stop supporting pro-choice politicians who spend our money to fund the killing of unborn babies. Before voting, check whether your candidate is pro-life or pro-death. Let us ask God to bless our undertaking. He will because we are working to preserve His gift of life. And may God bless America!”
The letter was also inserted into the parish bulletin that Sunday.
BISHOP ROBERT VASA of Baker, Oregon, recently sent a letter to all lay ministers in his diocese informing them that they would be required to make an “affirmation of personal faith” before they would be allowed to serve as ministers. The affirmation was attached to the bottom of the letter. Some excerpts:
“I affirm that human life is sacred and must be protected and respected from the moment of conception until natural death....”
“I affirm and believe the Church’s teaching about the sinfulness of contraception....”
“I affirm and believe that every person is called to chastity in accord with their present state of life and that it is only in marriage between man and woman that the intimacy of spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual communion. I accept the Church’s teaching that any extra-marital sexual relationships are gravely evil and that these include pre-marital relations, masturbation, fornication, the viewing of pornography and homosexual relations.
“I affirm and believe all that the Church teaches about the Reality and Presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. Specifically I believe that Jesus is present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under each of the forms of bread and wine and that receiving either one is Communion with the whole Christ. I recognize that worship and adoration are appropriate, not only during Mass but also outside of Mass and that the Most Holy Eucharist must always be handled with the utmost care and devotion.
“I affirm and believe that it is possible for a person to choose to remain separated from God for all eternity and that ‘This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called hell.’”
“To these and to all the teaching of the Catholic Church I give my assent.”
The affirmation of faith closed with: “The Church requires the making of a Profession of Faith by various persons when they undertake specific duties related to Church administration and teaching. (cf. Canon 833) In the Diocese of Baker this has been expanded to include those who take on the ecclesial duties of Catechist, Liturgical Reader, Cantor, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and other Church positions which entail a presumption of orthodoxy.”
EAST COUNTY VOTERS, TAKE NOTE. Therese More, an Alpine resident and Queen of Angels parishioner, sent the following query July 29 to Democrat candidate Chris Larkin, who is running against 77th Assembly District Republican pro-life incumbent Jay LaSuer: “I need to know where you stand on the important social issues: choice, heterosexual liaisons/marriage, medical funding of abortions through Planned Parenthood, embryonic stem cell research (which can bring mega bucks to the San Diego area) et al.”
Larkin responded to More in an August 2 email: “Thank you for the email. These issues are subject matter that are on the forefront of this election and candidates, attempting to please everyone, tend to dance around the issues, so I will be candid....
“1. Choice — I am now and will always be PRO CHOICE. This means to me that I would never interfere with the unalienable right for an individual to choose what is best for themselves regarding their health and well being.
“2. Heterosexual liaisons/marriage??? — I am not completely certain what you are asking but it seems like a reference to ‘Gay marriage’ — To respond, I am an advocate for equal rights for all regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, color, or lifestyle. I believe we are getting too hung up on verbiage when we should be focusing our work on improving ‘equal rights, benefits, and responsibilities’, for all couples whether it is a marriage or civil union. I feel as a state we are working towards that goal but I also know we can do better.
“3. Medical funding of abortions through PP — I am an advocate for Planned Parenthood. Through their thorough screening and application process they are more than capable of providing guidance and services to those in need of such services. Their offices and staff are fully qualified to provide clients with all the information they need to make and informed choices regarding their health and well being.
“4. Embryonic stem cell research — As a cancer survivor I am living proof of the importance of the bio life sciences and if not for this type of research I would not be here today to offer my candidacy to advocate for this type of research. I am in favor of Stem cell research not because I have an absolute understanding of where it will take us but more from the absolute admiration and respect I have for the people and organizations dedicated to informing the public of the benefits of this type of research. This type of research is both urgent and necessary to so many that it must go forward. As far as a boom to the local economy — that is an absolute from the standpoint that San Diego has always lead the nation in the bio life sciences.
“I hope these answers have shed some light into my positions and I look forward to a response on whether or not I can count on your support. Thank you for your time and consideration.”